Fast-paced style has brought Lady Vols into Top 25
Met Office app gives ‘severe high temperature’ warning despite Scots bracing for blizzardsNeed some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "This is the place!" — is really tough if you live outside the United States. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #264, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #264, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #264. Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #264 is... "This is the place!" And here's an unofficial hint from me: "American geography". If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'. Scroll down to find out what it is... It's CITYNAME. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #264? Drumroll, please... ...and the spangram was CITYNAME. Strands #264 “This is the place!” 🟡💡🔵💡 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵 Hi Strands fans. This one is punishingly tough if you live outside of the United States, as I do. Fortunately (after optimistically connecting " roblox " which Strands doesn't even recognise as a word), I saw the word "city" and was able to expand it to the spangram of CITYNAME. But that's where my luck ran out. Because I realized this was about American cities, and not just the super-famous ones that those on my side of the Atlantic would be familiar with. Two clues revealed BEND and MOBILE. Still, that was enough for me to muddle through with a mix of cities I had heard of, and educated guesses based on the letters available. PHOENIX and BOULDER - both in the top half of the board - fell into the former category, as did BUFFALO in the bottom right. The last one, RIVERSIDE, was a case of unscrambling my remaining letters, but I got through without any more clues, at least! Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #263 right here .
ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. No one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Deputies weren't immediately able to determine what items were stolen. A person who is employed by Burrow arrived at the Anderson Township home Monday night to find a shattered bedroom window and the home in disarray. The person called their mother, and then 911 was contacted, according to the report. Deputies reached out to neighbors in an attempt to piece together surveillance footage. “Our investigators are exploring every avenue,” public information officer Kyla Woods said. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA , Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had his home broken into Nov. 2 and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.'s home was burglarized on Sept. 15 while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Portis had offered a $40,000 reward for information. Both the NFL and NBA issued security alerts to players after those break-ins, urging them to take additional precautions to secure their homes. In league memos previously obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” And the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood, according to officials. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
AMD's fastest CPU gets surprising 33% price cut in time for Black Friday and just one month after it launched; is there something else happening?In a landmark decision in August, a federal judge ruled that Google operates an illegal monopoly via its search business. The Justice Department is proposing a forced sale of Chrome to remedy the issue. But experts believe a different outcome is more likely. The US Justice Department wants to force Google to sell Chrome – but the measure is unlikely to be adopted, experts suggest The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday proposed what would constitute a historic breakup of Google, calling for the divestiture of its Chrome browser and potentially its Android operating system, to remedy what has been deemed an illegal monopoly in online search. The filing was made three and a half months after federal Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled that Google’s search business violates US competition law through exclusionary practices. “Restoring competition to the markets for general search and search text advertising as they exist today will require reactivating the competitive process that Google has long stifled: The remedy must enable and encourage the development of an unfettered search ecosystem that induces entry, competition, and innovation as rivals vie to win the business of consumers and advertisers,” the Justice Department wrote in a 23-page filing. In the document, the DOJ recommends forcing the sale of Chrome, citing the browser’s core role in funneling users to Google’s search engine, which is deeply integrated into the browser. Further, the Justice Department is pressing Google to either divest Android – the world’s most ubiquitous mobile operating system – or be banned from making exclusive agreements that make its search engine the default on devices that rely on the Android operating system. Though the Android system is open source, most Android devices come preloaded with Google apps, strengthening the company’s dominance in the search ecosystem, the DOJ argues. The government agency also hopes to force the tech giant to drop any investments it has in AI firms that might compete with search engines. The company has a $2bn stake in Anthropic, the AI company behind popular AI assistant Claude. Google vehemently opposes the proposals. Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and parent company Alphabet wrote in a blog post Thursday: “DOJ’s approach would result in unprecedented government overreach that would harm American consumers, developers, and small businesses – and jeopardize America’s global economic and technological leadership at precisely the moment it’s needed most.” If Judge Mehta agreed to require divestment of Chrome or Android, online search – and the digital advertising ecosystem, by extension – would be greatly disrupted. For one, Google’s practice of bundling premium search advertising space with less valuable inventory, under opaque regimes like ad campaign tool Performance Max, has long stifled transparency and made it more difficult for advertisers to optimize their spend. In the words of Adam Epstein, co-CEO of adMarketplace, a native search advertising firm, “Google packages the prime rib of search advertising with a lot of hamburger meat from other sources, and they do it under Performance Max, which allows for very little transparency or optimization.” Separating search advertising into its own market would allow advertisers to better allocate budgets, optimize campaigns and bid more effectively, ultimately creating a healthier advertising ecosystem, he argues. Epstein has advised the DOJ on the ins and outs of the search ad landscape throughout this trial. Plus, Epstein argues that Google’s business practices result in inflated prices, with advertisers overpaying for lower-quality traffic. Increased transparency and competition in selling search traffic – which could be ushered in by the divestment of Chrome and some of the DOJ’s other proposed solutions – may drive down these costs, unlocking substantial opportunities for advertisers and competitors in search alike. He suggests that eroding Google’s dominance would create a fairer market and address long-standing inefficiencies in the digital ad ecosystem. Advertisement Though the judge’s decision over legal remedies remains unclear at this point, legal experts doubt that Google will ultimately be forced to sell Chrome. “It is very unlikely that the courts will ultimately agree to the remedies proposed by DOJ. Divestiture in particular seems very unlikely,” says Doug Melamed, a visiting fellow at Stanford Law School who previously worked in the DOJ’s antitrust division. Forcing the sale of Chrome is unlikely for two key reasons, Melamed says. For one, he says, divestiture – typically reserved for reversing mergers – doesn’t align with the nature of the case, which centers on alleged illegal agreements rather than structural issues. And from a legal perspective, “antitrust remedies must be focused on the particular harms to competition found in the case,” he explains. In addition to the fact that divestiture does not directly address the specific harms created by Google’s exclusionary agreements with device makers, “it is rarely appropriate to order divestiture of businesses that were developed by the defendant” – a precedent established in the Microsoft case, Melamed says. “Divestiture of business units is generally appropriate only when those businesses and the retained businesses were combined by merger.” But Google itself developed both Chrome and Android, making Chrome divestiture look like an inappropriate remedy in Melamed’s view. More plausible remedies, he suggests, would focus on curbing agreements that hinder rivals’ access to critical search distribution channels. This could include restrictions on deals that make Google the default search engine. adMarketplace’s Epstein agrees that while divestiture may be a long shot, more practical “behavioral remedies” could be implemented imminently. In addition to barring Google from signing exclusive distribution agreements, the company must syndicate its ads and search results so that “browsers and apps can have monetization and search results that are relevant to users without having to give total control over the search experience.” This kind of requirement, Epstein says, would open up more competition for AI firms looking to go head-to-head with Google Search. Another potential measure is limiting Google’s use of unconditional revenue-sharing agreements with device manufacturers and browser providers, Melamed says. Although these payments aren’t explicitly tied to default status, they may still incentivize partners to prioritize Google over competitors. A further option could require Google to share certain data with rivals for a fee, mitigating competitive disadvantages stemming from exclusive agreements with device makers. However, Melamed believes that both revenue- and data-sharing proposals face implementation challenges and could have potential adverse effects on innovation or browser supplier revenues – which might undercut the government’s aim to invite greater competition into the search market. More likely, Melamed says, are more narrow “restrictions on agreements that more directly harm rivals.” Advertisement In the unlikely case that Judge Mehta takes the Justice Department’s advice and requires Google to divest Chrome, the decision is sure to face significant hurdles, experts say, citing the appeals court reversal of a similar breakup attempt against Microsoft in the early 2000s. “Ordering the sale of Chrome would obviously be an aggressive remedy and may not survive the appeals process, as we saw with Microsoft over 20 years ago,” says Andrew Frank, vice-president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. Plus, with administrative changes expected under Donald Trump’s second presidential term, some antitrust actions underway today may lose momentum, Frank predicts (though it’s worth noting that this case was launched by the DOJ in the fall of 2020, during Trump’s first administration). Nonetheless, Frank says that “when the dust settles, the outcome [of this case] may be less impactful than the drama suggests.” Antitrust action, writ large, could sputter under Trump’s leadership, Melamed agrees. “The aggressiveness of the Biden antitrust enforcers is unlikely to be continued in the Trump administration because Trump is generally protective of big business and opposed to government regulation,” he says. Plus, considering Trump’s track record of disregard for the law, he can “imagine the Trump team going easy on Google if Google makes other business decisions that Trump seeks, like changing its algorithms to favor pro-Trump information.” However, it’s also possible, he suggests, that Trump will leverage the Justice Department to target tech firms he perceives as hostile Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team. Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team. Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum. Google is appealing the August monopoly ruling. In the meantime, however, the company will submit its own counter-proposals by December 20. The details of Google’s forthcoming filing are purely speculative at this point, but Melamed, for his part, expects that Google will push back against the court’s determination that the company violated federal competition law and argue that divestiture is not appropriate in this case. The company may also make the case that the DOJ’s other suggestions are not justifiable, but Melamed says that he wouldn’t be surprised if Google is open to some kind of restriction on default agreements with device makers. For the time being, “the government, the courts – with bipartisan political support – all are sending sort of the same message to Google, and that is that the practices that were allowed for the last 25 years are now under scrutiny,” says Epstein. “Google needs to look at a different way to ... move forward in this new environment. They do amazing things, [but] leveraging monopolies to get into new markets and own them is probably not going to be their best strategy going forward ... They’re going to have to do a little soul-searching over the next 12 to 18 months.” This antitrust push, among the most aggressive actions against Big Tech in decades, coincides with another landmark competition case between the DOJ and Google, concerning the company’s adtech business. The final outcome of both cases could help shape future competition cases targeting Apple, Amazon, Meta and others. The court is expected to hear arguments on remedies in the spring of 2025, with a decision anticipated by summer. For more, sign up for The Drum’s daily newsletter here .
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Isaac Brown and Duke Watson rushed for two touchdowns each, Ramon Puryear returned one of Louisville's five takeaways for a score and the Cardinals blew out rival Kentucky 41-14 on Saturday to win the Governor's Cup for the first time since 2017. Brown's 1-yard TD run started the Cardinals (8-4) toward a 20-0 halftime lead before he busted a 67-yard, exclamation-point score midway through the fourth as they halted a five-game losing streak against the Wildcats (4-8). He finished with career highs of 178 yards on 26 carries to surpass quarterback Lamar Jackson and become Louisville's first true freshman to rush for 1,000 yards. Jackson ran for 960 yards in 2015, a year before winning the Heisman Trophy. “I wanted to beat the record, so I had to stay focused and not let the outside get to me," said Brown, who has 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns. Watson, another freshman, rushed six times for 104 yards. He exploded down the left sideline for a 58-yard TD in the second quarter before breaking a 24-yard scoring run late in the third to make it 34-7. Louisville totaled 358 yards rushing in freezing temperatures, notable for a team that entered the game with the nation's 13th-ranked passing attack. Puryear preceded that score with a 20-yard fumble return for a TD to blunt Kentucky's momentum after Ja'Mori Maclin caught a 4-yard TD pass from Gavin Wimsatt for its first score. Wimsatt, who started the second half in relief of Wildcats freshman Cutter Boley, also connected with Maclin for an 83-yard score in the fourth and was 4 of 9 for 125 yards. Kentucky finished with its sixth loss in seven contests after having its school-record eight-year postseason streak stopped. Defensive back Tamarion McDonald recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass for Louisville, which outgained Kentucky 486-328, denied all nine third-down situations and one fourth-down chance. “We did a good job pressuring the quarterback," Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte said. "They have a good run game, so they’re going to run at any stage, any part of the game and keep running. ... Our DBs capitalized on the moments and we capitalized in terms of sacks.” Louisville’s reward was the Governor’s Cup, a 33-inch-high, 110- pound trophy comprised of marble, crystal and 23-karat gold-plated brass and pewter. Brown was awarded the Howard Schnellenberger MVP award. Brown helped Louisville earn a rare achievement with its first 1,000-yard rusher to go along with a 1,000-yard receiver and 3,000-yard passer in the same season. It’s just the third time the Cardinals have done so and first since 1999. Receiver Ja’Corey Brooks previously surpassed 1,000 yards while quarterback Tyler Shough broke the 3,000-yard passing plateau last week against Pitt. Louisville: The Cardinals actually could have put it out of reach in the first half if they hadn't settled for field goals near the goal line. No big deal, as Brown and Watson broke it open in the second half with Puryear highlighting their huge defensive performance that created chances. They also had two sacks. “We talked about tackling," coach Jeff Brohm said. "Everybody tackling with your eyes, with your shoulders, with your arms, your body, not going for the ankles and swarming the ball. when you do that, that’s when you get extra arms and hands on the ball and you can knock things out.” Kentucky: Boley was supposed to offer a peek into the Wildcats' future in his first collegiate start but tossed two interceptions and completing just 6 of 15 passes for 48 yards. Jamarion Wilcox's two fumbles also hurt and Wimsatt was picked off, but his relief effort sparks offseason questions about a QB battle next spring. “I have a lot of confidence in Cutter,” coach Mark Stoops said. “We’ve got to make sure we build a very good team around him. We have to make sure that we have strong competition.” Louisville awaits its bowl assignment on Dec. 8. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Jannik Sinner leads Italy back to the Davis Cup semifinals and a rematch against Australia
